I had a black friend who had completely bought into this. She would respond “black people can’t be racist just prejudiced” to anyone who would complain abut the contradictions inherit here.

Her argument would fall apart when I asked her what “power” Mr. Vickers is referring to here. Why is the power of the American government the only power being considered here? If you were a black man who owned a business, do you have no power within your own business? Why doesn’t your system count too?

If you believe it’s not possible for black people to be racist then you also believe it’s not possible for black people to have “power” in any circumstance, anywhere, ever. That’s infantilizing and denies a reality that black people who have worked their way into a position of authority are living every day.

Infantilizing places white progressives in a position where they can play benevolent savior. Lesson learned: This ideology is an oppression, it’s just being sneaky about it.